A fight between the Dagestan native and his predecessor at the summit of the lightweight division has been brewing for nearly two years, though the desire to see the pair face one another reached new levels at the UFC 223 media day in April.

Nurmagomedov is relishing the opportunity to get his hands on McGregor, who he wants to disfigure, and expressed his delight at the bout being booked in an Instagram post last night.

“It’s been a long time - and now we are waiting for the most anticipated fight in the history of mixed martial arts,” ‘The Eagle’ wrote on alongside a picture of himself shadowboxing.

"You have two of these guys, who are actually both straight killers, coming out of the gate and going straight after each other head-to-head. In their prime - incredible.”

McGregor, 30, hasn't set foot inside the Octagon since claiming the lightweight title 20 months ago in the main event of UFC 205, where he TKO'd Eddie Alvarez to become the promotion's first simultaneous two-weight world champion.

Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, hasn't fought since succeeding McGregor atop of the 155lb division with a unanimous decision victory over Al Iaquinta at UFC 223.